"Others said they didn't know what happened to their parents, and they came to Bangladesh with relatives".

More than 580,000 refugees have arrived in Bangladesh since August 25, when Myanmar security forces began a scorched-earth campaign against Rohingya villages.

Besides, visiting internally displaced persons' camps outside Sittwe, set up in 2012, he also witnessed how, in addition to the documented endemic discrimination against the Rohingya population, socio-economic challenges adversely affect all communities.

Wells said that given that dozens of villages across northern Rakhine State have been targeted in a similar fashion, the death toll could be much higher.

"Although Myanmar is an ASEAN member, we want to make it clear that the Rohingya issue transcends geographical borders", he said, adding, "We have no wish to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, but it should be understood that the Rohingya issue is a regional problem".

Amnesty International this morning warned that there has been a campaign of "crimes against humanity" against the minority.

Ethnic Rohingya village completely destroyed adjacent to intact ethnic Rakhine village in Maungdaw Township, Burma. He said the USA has urged restraint by the military which launched its crackdown in response to attacks on security forces by Rohingya insurgents.

"It is time for the global community to move beyond public outcry and take action to end the campaign of violence that has driven more than half the Rohingya population out of Myanmar", Amnesty said.

An Associated Press photographer saw thousands of newcomers stretching for several kilometres near one border crossing Tuesday. UNICEF said it has received just 7 percent of the $76 million it needs.

Zahid's statement followed similar comments made by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during a speech before the United Nations General Assembly in September, when she called for creating U.N. -supervised safe zones inside Myanmar to protect Rohingya Muslims from further violence.

On Aug. 25, a Rohingya insurgent group known as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army attacked at least 30 security posts on Aug. 25, causing dozens of casualties, according to Myanmar authorities.